By-laws & Regulations
MISSION
The World Soccer Project (WSP) seeks to provide and promote organized, recreational soccer leagues around the world, in order to make soccer accessible, affordable, enjoyable and safe for both adults and youths.
WSP’s inaugural league, in NYC, (hereafter, ‘League’) exists to undertake the following major initiatives:
(a)to create and run an organized, recreational adult soccer league, which is open to everyone - irrespective of gender, color, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or level of experience.
(b) to apply a significant portion of league revenues to programs and projects which encourage participation in sport amongst disadvantaged communities within NYC - especially in K-12 schools without suitable facilities, coaching or equipment.
RULES and REGULATIONS GOVERNING LEAGUE ADMINISTRATION
Article I: League Governing Documents
Section 1. The League shall be governed by these bylaws, which may be amended by a majority of elected board members at any official League meeting.
Section 2. League play shall be governed by League Rules, which may be amended by a majority of elected board members at any official League meeting, or by the Operating Committee on a temporary basis as provided by the bylaws.
Section 3. The League shall be affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), and it shall be subject to their rules, bylaws, and procedures, unless otherwise superseded by the League’s rules and bylaws stated herein.
Article II: Membership
Membership in the League is available to any organized adult soccer team or individual, provided the following conditions are met.
Section 1. The team or individual is registered with the League and is in good standing according to these bylaws.
Section 2. The team does not contain any players who have been permanently banned from the League in past seasons or who have been permanently banned from any other soccer association or soccer league in the US.
Article III. Meetings
Meetings of the League shall be:
Section 1. Called and scheduled at the discretion of the League President. At least two meetings shall be held each year: the fall meeting, to be held between September 1 and December 22; and the spring meeting, to be held between January 3 and April 1.
Section 2. Attended by two players’ representatives, designated by vote amongst players of all teams. Each team-designated representative shall be allowed to cast a single vote in any matter requiring voting decisions.
Section 3. Announced at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting date. The Secretary shall cause such announcement in writing to the appropriate player-representatives.
Section 4. Constituted by a minimum of two members of the Executive Committee and those player-representatives present, and which shall be defined to be a quorum.
Section 5. Robert's Current Rules of Order shall regulate the conduct of all meetings where they do not conflict with these bylaws.
Section 6. On each even-numbered year, all members of the League Operating Committee shall be elected at the fall meeting. Terms will run for two years.
Article IV. Administration
Section 1. The business of the League shall be conducted by an Executive Committee, comprising a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Commissioner, and of an Operating Committee consisting of the above Executive Committee and up to five at-large members.
Section 2. Members of the Operating Committee are elected for terms of two years and may stand for re-election to succeed themselves. Vacancy for reasons of resignation or other cause shall be dealt with by the President in whatever manner deemed necessary until the next League meeting, at which the vacancy shall be filled.
Section 3. Duties of Executive Committee
A. President
1. Preside over all meetings and conduct them with neatness and dispatch.
2. Exercise general supervision of all League activities in accordance with the bylaws.
3. Call meetings when necessary.
4. Act as Chairperson of the Operating Committee.
5. Appoint Members and Chairpersons of any subcommittees created by the Operating Committee.
6.Sign pertinent League documents and agreements.
7.Oversee the development and expansion of the League within NYC and in other districts of NY State.
8.Oversee job creation so that employees can perform various League functions.
B. Vice-President
1. Act in absence of the President with all the authority and privileges residing in the President's Office.
2. Assist the President in the general supervision of all League activities.
C. Secretary
1. Keep and publish official minutes of all meetings.
2. Maintain a copy of all official documents and agreements pertaining to the League.
3. Sign pertinent documents and agreements.
D. Treasurer
1. Oversee receipt and distribution of all League funds.
2. Maintain control over the signing and distribution of all League checks and accounts.
3. Sign drafts, notes and other financial documents of the League.
4. Present a complete annual Treasurer's report at the fall meeting and periodic reports when requested by the President.
5. File all League tax documents by the required date including, but not limited to, federal and state returns and any and all 1099 forms.
E. League Commissioner
1. Approve all modifications of the League schedule, including changes of field locations and rescheduling of postponed games.
2. Approve of a player to play without a player pass on a single game basis for an extraordinary situation.
3. Rule on outcome of all scheduled games that are not played for any reason, and on games with premature terminations.
4. Rule on all disputes over league standings.
5. Impose standard disciplinary sanctions against players according to league rule V(H). Rule on all protests involving disciplinary matters. Impose suspensions against players for serious offenses. The Commissioner shall include a copy of the referee report and any other relevant written materials when notifying a player of a suspension that is beyond the standard rule V(H) penalties.
6. Rule on all protests regarding the outcome of games.
7. Oversee the administration of Referees and any other employees associated with match play.
8. Ensure that games are provided with all necessary equipment and that field sizes, goal boxes and goals accord with FIFA standards.
9. Appoint an assistant commissioner to act with all powers of the Commissioner in the Commissioner's absence, or in matters wherein the commissioner has a conflict of interest, or to delegate some of the responsibilities of the Commissioner to the Assistant Commissioner. Appoint an Acting Commissioner when the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner are unavailable.
10. Place teams on probation and impose penalties according to league rule V(H and M). Issue warnings to teams for team offenses. Suspend teams for up to two games in cases of serious and/or repeated offenses when individual player sanctions alone may not be adequate, or when the referee and the offending team are not able to identify the individual player or players responsible for the offense. Recommend team suspensions of more than two games to the Operating Committee.
11. Oversee the permit and permissions process related to field acquisitions.
12. Recommend formally (in a written report) at Operating Committee meetings, and informally as she or he may see fit, how the League should be developed within NYC and in other districts of NY State.
Section 4. Duties of the Operating Committee
A. Powers
The Operating committee shall be responsible for matters of League policy. Specific powers include:
1. The power to assign teams to divisions as required by the League Rules.
2. The power to modify existing or to adopt new rules, subject to ratification by the general membership at the next League meeting.
3. The power to suspend or terminate a team, but only after a warning has been issued, for repeat violations of rules, for which suspension may be overturned by a majority vote at the next league meeting (provided that a majority of teams in the suspended team's division votes for the reinstatement).
B. Responsibilities
1. Prepare the League Schedule.
2. Arrange for League playoffs, if required by the Rules.
3. Establish fees and payment policies including referee fees, referee compensation for games not played, and fines.
4. Maintain a list of all registered players and team rosters. Develop procedures for handling disciplinary problems in a fair and consistent manner, in accordance with League Rules and Bylaws.
5. Oversee refereeing activities, and develop procedures for handling complaints about referees' performances in a fair and consistent manner.
6. Develop procedures for handling protests in a fair and consistent manner.
7. Develop a system for reporting, compiling, and disseminating scores and standings to all teams in a timely fashion.
8. Prepare recommendations to be presented at the fall meeting for persons to fill the Executive Committee Offices.
C. Protests
1. Any decisions of the Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, or an Acting Commissioner under article IV, section 3, paragraph E, items 3- 6 may be appealed to the Operating Committee. The appeal shall be accompanied by a letter stating the grounds for the appeal (including any points of dispute with the referee’s report), and explaining why the Commissioner’s decision should be reversed. It shall be filed with the league Secretary accompanied by the protest fee, within 7 days of the Commissioner’s decision. Any player appealing a suspension of four games or longer shall be entitled to an appearance before the Operating Committee, along with any witnesses to the incident. During the time that an appeal is pending, the Commissioner’s ruling shall remain in force.
Section 5. Officers may be removed for cause by a two-thirds vote of the League team representatives, or may resign by notifying the Secretary in writing. Cause for removal shall be stated at the meeting. At the subsequent meeting, the accused may be present and state her or his defense, where a secret vote shall be taken League representatives in attendance.
RULES and REGULATIONS GOVERNING MATCH PLAY
I. MEMBERSHIP
A. The Operating Committee shall determine, before each season, a date by which teams that played during the previous season must indicate their intention to participate in the upcoming season. This is indicated by submitting payment of League fees as set by the Treasurer and by identifying the field(s) on which the League has received a commitment for the upcoming season.
B. After the above date, new teams and individual members will be allowed to enter the League (the latter of which will be designated to their team of choice or appointed to a team by the League Commissioner). The Operating Committee shall establish procedures for the acceptance of new teams and individual players who wish to join the league but do not know any registered teams.
II. PLAYERS
A. No player may be currently under suspension from the League or from any other soccer organization or league.
B. Not more than five players on a team may be from a team that is currently under suspension or expulsion from the League or from any other soccer organization or league.
C. Each team must have a minimum number of players, as set by the Operating Committee and outlined on the League’s website, registered with the League one week prior to the start of each season. Players may be dropped from or added to the roster during the season, in accordance with policies set out by the Operating Committee and published on said website. No changes to the roster may be made after the halfway point of the season. The Commissioner may grant waivers to this rule in the event of an extraordinary situation.
D. Official player passes will be provided to each team representative for their respective team members. Each player pass must contain the player's name, a recent color photo of the player, the player’s birthday, the name(s) of the team(s) on which the player is registered and must be validated by the League. Players without their individual player pass and a valid government issued ID that matches the name, birthday and picture on the player pass or an official school ID with matching name and photo, will not be permitted to participate in the soccer match unless approved in advance by the League Commissioner for an extraordinary situation.
E. A player may register with a maximum of two teams. If a player is registered on two teams, the pass must indicate which team is the “primary” team and which is the “secondary” team. Players may change their primary/secondary status until the halfway point of the season by re-registering their player pass. If a match ever occurs between the two teams (for example, a playoff game), the player must play for the team listed as “primary.”
III. LEAGUE STRUCTURE AND STANDINGS
A. The league shall be organized into three Divisions, known as Division 1, Division 2, and Division 3, unless field access or player registration does not permit this number of divisions. Teams shall be placed into Divisions based on level of play as determined by the previous year’s record or submitted information in the case of new teams. Division 1 will be the highest level, Division 2 is the next highest and Division 3 is the lowest.
B. Each team shall be scheduled for the same number of games, according to the schedule developed by the Operating Committee.
C. Winners shall be determined in each Division or Group based upon the total number of points accumulated; with teams receiving three points for each victory, one point for each tie, and zero points for each loss. In the event that two or more teams are tied in standing points at the end of the season, applying the following tie-breaking procedures, in order, until the tie is resolved shall break the tie:
1. Head-to-head record (or record among all tied teams when more than two teams are tied);
2. Head-to-head goal differential;
3. Fewest goals allowed; (forfeits shall be scored 3-0);
4. Most wins; and
5. Coin toss (to be done by the Commissioner).
D. Playoffs may be held within each Division following the completion of the regular season. Within a Division, each Group shall have representation in the playoffs. The Operating Committee shall state by the midpoint of the season how all playoff berths shall be determined.
E. Division and Group alignments will be determined by the Operating Committee subject to the following provisions: The winner of each Group in the previous year shall be elevated to the next higher Division and the lowest finishing teams in each Group in the previous year shall be placed in the next lower Division. At its discretion, the Operating Committee may then elevate the second place team in a Group into the next higher Division and may lower the second to last place team in a Group into the next lower Division.
F. The regular season shall consist of an equal number of scheduled games for each team.
V. MATCH RULES
A. Each team must wear League provided uniforms with permanent visible numerals on the backs of the shirts. Visiting teams shall always wear their primary uniform, as indicated on the league schedule; home teams may wear either uniform except that they must wear a uniform that is distinct in color from that of the visiting team.
B. Except as provided herein, matches shall be played according to FIFA rules.
C. Teams are allowed to substitute freely at the following times, only after recognition by the referee:
1. After either team has scored a goal, or been awarded a goal kick.
2. When the substituting team has possession of the ball on a throw-in.
3. When a player on the substituting team has been injured, except that if a substitution is made, the other team may also make a substitution at this point.
C. All matches will begin PROMPTLY, unless the Commissioner approves alternative arrangements.
D. The minimum number of players required by a team to play a match is 3 for 5v5, 4 for 7v7, 5 for 8v8 and 7 for 11v11. If a team does not have the required number of players to begin a game by 10 minutes after the designated game start time, the game is a forfeit by that team.
E. Match referees shall be responsible for administering the League Rules during the match, and their decisions shall be final except as provided in Section V (G).
F. For each match, the League Commissioner shall depute the necessary people to uphold these responsibilities:
1. The field must be properly lined.
2. Two regulation size number 5 balls must be provided per game.
3. Nets must be provided and attached to the goal frame.
4. Goals must be anchored to the ground.
G. Any team may file a protest with the Commissioner, when it feels that a match or a part of a match has not been played in accordance with League Rules, provided that it informs the referee at the time it feels the rule has been violated and notifies the Commissioner within 48 hours of its intent to file a protest, and subsequently files a written protest within one week of the date of the game.
H. In addition to the standard match penalties, additional penalties shall be assessed based on the accumulation of demerits as explained below:
1. Yellow Cards count as 1 demerit when not on probation and 2 demerits when on probation. Two Yellow Cards in one game will count as one Red Card.
2. Red Cards count as 4 demerits when not on probation and 6 demerits when on probation and if the Red Card was issued for fighting the following additional penalties will be assessed:
a. A Red Card for fighting, when deemed by the Referee to be self-defense, shall result in a 1-game suspension.
b. A Red Card for fighting, when deemed by the Referee to not be in self-defense, shall result in at least a one-year ban, with the possibility of a lifetime ban.
3. Individual Player Suspensions
a. Four demerits in a season shall result in a one game suspension.
b. Eight demerits in a season shall result in a three game suspension.
c. Twelve demerits in a season shall result in a hearing before the Operating Committee with a possible suspension of one year or a lifetime ban.
d. Any suspension not fully served shall carry over and be served in the next season.
e. Suspensions shall apply to post-season play as well as regular season play.
4. Misconduct Toward Game Officials, Players and Spectators
a. Misconduct against referees, players or spectators includes abuse or assault before, during and after the match, including travel to and from the match and also at later times (such as when directly related to the duties of the game official as a referee). Abuse includes, but is not limited to, foul or abusive language, verbal statement (or physical act) that implies or threatens physical harm, or damage to ones’ property or equipment. Assault includes, but is not limited to, hitting, kicking, punching, choking, spitting at, or on, grabbing, or bodily running into a referee, kicking or throwing any object at a referee, player or spectator that could inflict injury or damage a uniform or personal property (i.e. equipment, car, etc.).
b. Such acts will be dealt with per USASA guidelines and will involve strict suspensions ranging from multiple games to one or more years. In certain cases of referee assault, the League may also rule upon any player accused of referee assault. In those instances the Commissioner may impose a temporary penalty, which shall be binding until the League has issued a decision.
5. The Commissioner shall notify the player of his suspension, in writing, within ten (10) days of receipt of the referee's report. In cases of referee abuse or assault, the Commissioner may also notify the referee and state association. The Operating Committee may increase the length of any suspension imposed by the Commissioner within one year from the incident.
6. The player may appeal to the Operating Committee, in writing, within seven (7) days of receipt of the notice of suspension using the procedure described in League Bylaws. The subcommittee may reduce or extend the suspension after hearing the appeal.
I. Any team that will not be able to compete in a match for any reason must notify the Commissioner a minimum of three (3) hours before the match in question. Failure to do so could result in team suspensions, in accordance with decisions made by the Operating Committee.
J. The following conditions shall cause a team to forfeit a match:
1. Failure to provide an appropriate uniform in accordance with Section IV(B)
2. Failure to have a minimum required number of players in accordance with Section V(D).
3. Use of a player in a match who does not meet the requirements of Section II(A), or who is not on the official team roster, which is maintained by a member of the Operating Committee, or who does not have a player pass as required in Section II(C).
K. In the event of a forfeit, the forfeiting team shall receive no standings points, and the winning team shall receive three (3) standing points. If the forfeiture results in a situation where referees show up and the minimum notice is not provided as per the above section, the forfeiting team shall pay the full amount of the referee fees for that game.
L. No alcoholic beverages are to be consumed during the game.
M. Teams shall be placed on probation for a period to be determined by the Commissioner, but not to be less than two played matches when team members accumulate 20 demerits during the season, or for such other violations as the Operating Committee feels are necessary. The Commissioner shall inform a team that it has been placed on probation within one week after the Commissioner becomes aware that the probation status for that team is warranted. When team members accumulate 40 demerits, the team shall be placed on probation for a period to be determined by the Operating Committee but not to be less than two played matches and shall be disqualified from post-season play. If this occurs during the post-season playoffs, that team’s last opponent will advance in the offending teams place. When a team is on probation, any player receiving either a red or yellow care shall receive additional demerits pursuant to rule V(H).
N. Any game, which is postponed, must be rescheduled by mutual agreement of the two teams’ captains within two weeks of the postponement, or by the last day of regular season play, whichever comes first. The Commissioner must be informed of the date, time and location of the rescheduled game. If the managers try, but are unable to reach an agreement concerning rescheduling, they shall ask the Commissioner to intervene, who shall the set a time, place and date for the game to be played, subject to field availability.
O. In the event that a game, which has been started, is not able to be completed due to conditions beyond the control of either team, the game shall stand as a complete game if 3/4 or more of the match has been played, but otherwise must be replayed in its entirety.
P. The game outcome (score, forfeit, or game not played) must be reported to the appropriate recorder within 10 hours of the scheduled game start time by someone for each team.
